John h



(No Model.)

J. H. BROWN.

GUN BARREL.

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lln'rrnn Srnrns JOHN H. BRO\VN, OF JEV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGOR TO THE BRO harnrwr @reifen ARD FIRE ARMS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

GUN-BARREL.

SPECIFICATON forming part of Letters Fatent No. 290,738, dated December Application tiled May Q2, 15H3.

LZ/ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I. Jeux H. Bnowx, of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a certaiii new and useful Improvement in Fire-Arms, oi' which the following is a specification.

An ordinary ride-barrel has at the breech a chamber for the reception of a cartridge, and this chamber extends slightly forward of the shell ofthe cartridge, leaving a space beyond the shell into which the bulletofthe cartridge will upset when the cartridge is tired. The objections to the upsetting of the bullet into this space are numerous and well known. The object ofniy improvement is to avoid this space.

To this end the improvement consists in a rifle-barrel having near the breech and just in rear of the rilling a forwardly-tapering internal portion, and having at the breech a dili'crently tapering or cylindric portion7 and adapted for use in combination with a cartridge having a shell which has an external forward taper corresponding to the forwardly-tapering portion ofthe barrel that is j ust in rear of the rilling, and whichis of such length that at its forward end it will extend into and lit in the said forwardly-tapering portion that is just in rear of the ritling, and at the rear end will fit in said differently tapering or cylindric portion of the barrel. Then such cartridge is red, its shell will be expanded behind the said forwardly-taperin g portion of the barrel, so as to be prevented from being carried forward with the bullet, and the upsetting` of the bullet to any objectionable extent is avoided.

The accompanying drawing is a longitudinal section of a portion of a rifle-barrel, and a longitudinal section of a cartridge embodying my improvement.

A designates the rear end of a rille-barrel. Itvhas a chamber which is adapted to receive a cartridge, B. This chamber consists of a forwardly-tapering portion, a, which is forward of the breech ot' the barrel, and just in rear of the ritling b, and a differently tapering` or cylindric portion, c, extending` from the forwardly-tapering portion, a, to the breech. Vhat I mean by a differently tapering7 7 portion, c, is a portion which tapers forwardly,

N. 5:5, lees.

(No model.)

but at such a diit'erent angle t'ron the angle of the tapering portion a in front ot' it that a shoulder, d, will be formed at its jnnct ion with the taperingport ion u. Obvionuly, il' lthe portion c were made c vlindrie u ahozlder would be formed at its junction with the tapering portion c. It will not be no desirable to make the portion c cylindrc as tapering. because when made tapering the cartridge-shells can be more easily extri nl.

The shell of thecurtridge l isniade to taper externally toward the forward end, and its angle ot' taper will be ailiproxinzately the saine as the angle of taper f the portion o, of the barrel; hence when in place its exterior and the portion (c ofthe barrel will be coincident. This shell is of suchlength that' the entire portion which surrounds the bullet extends into the tapering portion a of the barrel, and hence forward of the shoulder d. Owingtothcmanner in which cartridgeshells are ordinarily made, it will be most convenient to make the interior of my cartridge-shell parallel with the exterior. The forward portion, e, of the interior ofthe shell is, however, made cylindrie, to conform to thc cylindric portion ot' the bullet, and owing to this formation ot' the shell the interior and exterior ol" the shell converge at the forward end to a Aline edge, which is about equal in thickness to the dillerencc between a radius of the adjacent part otthe tapering portion (t of the barrel, and a radius of the ritied portion of the barrel. It will be obvious, therefore, that the space between the cartridge-shell and the rilling is not a short abruptly tapering space, as usual, but is a long gradually-tapering portion; and hence it will be perceived that the upsetting of thc bullet will be extended over a greater length of its surface, and will be very gradual, so as not to be seriously objectionable. The diameter of the rear portion of the cartridge-shell and the diameter of the portion c at the rear of the barrel are about the same, so that the cartridge-shell will tit snugly in the barrel at the breech or rear end. l desire to remark that the diiference in size between the rear end of the forwardly-tapering portion and the forward end of the differently tapering or cylindrie portion is so slight that there is formed at the junction a shoulder so small that on the firing of a (artridge the cartridge-shell Will be expanded behind Without bursting. If the 5 shoulder were so large as to endanger the bursting of the shell, the result sought to be accomplished might be frustrated, because the forward end or the shell might be cut oi' from the main portion, so that it could not be pulled 1o out with the main portion.

The cartridge-shell may be made of sheet metal, as usual, and may be drawn out or otherwise treated to produce the internally-eylindric portion e at the forward end. Vhen the cartridge is fired, its shell will be expanded 2o secure by Letters Patent, isM

l. A rifle-barrel having near the breech and justin rear of the riiling a forwardly-tapering internal portion, and having at the breech a differently tapering or eylindric portion, and

adapted for use in combination with a cartridge having a shell which has an external forward taper corresponding to the forwardlytaperingr portion of the barrel that is just in rear ofthe riding, and which is of such length that at its forward end it will extend into and fit in the said forwardly-tapering portion that is just in rear ofthe rifling, and at the rear end will lit in said differently tapering or cylindric portion of the barrel, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with a rifle-barrel having near the breech and just in rear of the riling a forwardly-tapering internal portion, and having at the breech a diii'erently tapering1 or cylindric portion, of a cartridge having a shell which tapers externally toward the forward end, which at the forward end is internally cylindrical, and which iits at the forward end in the said forwardlytapering portion of the barrel that is just in rear oi' the rifling, and which fits at the rear end in the rear end of the said differently tapering or cylindric portion of the barrel, substantially as specilied.

JOHN H. BROV.

XVitnesses:

T. J. lIifnmnc, Jannes R. Bonney. 

